Tag Archives: coronavirus

South William Street, Dublin 2

Before you leave…

Pre-booking is required where a distance of two metres between tables cannot be maintained.

A maximum limit of six people will be able to sit at each table and they can all be from different households.

Their time there will be limited to one hour and 45 minutes though, unless the tables are spaced two metres or more apart.

Multiple table bookings for the same group will not be allowed, ruling out the holding of Christmas parties or events.

One member of each party will still have to give their name and contact details for potential contact tracing if required.

No live music or loud music will also be permitted, nor will live performances.

Venues that are serving food and beverages will have to be cleared of all customers by 11.30pm and nightclubs and discos will remain shut.

Late Late Show and Deliveroo so.

Restaurants, cafes and some pubs reopening (RTÉ)

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

A danse macabre from ballerina Niamh O;Flannagain as she joined a silent, Covid-friendly protest on behalf of dance school owners, drama and stage school owners, dance teachers, professional dancers and others who are calling on the government to reopen their sector.

Pics Karl Ffrench

Earlier: Undoing the split.

Pics: Karl Ffrench

March 26, 2020

 

Last night

Yesterday evening.

A motion supported by Solidarity PBP, The Social Democrats, Sinn Féin, Labour and all Independent TDs to reinstate the same rate of pay that student nurses and midwives were given at the start of the pandemic was defeated by 77 votes to 72. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party all voted against the plan.

When the payment was first announced, Mr Harris said:

“This is an offer and not an obligation. But I know so many of our student nurses want to play their role as we navigate our way through these difficult times.”

Student nurses will be paid during Covid-19 crisis (RTÉ, March 26)

Dáil vote against paying Student Nurses and Midwives (Buzz.ie)

Paul Reid, CEO, HSE in Dr Steevens’ Hospital  at the weekly HSE operational update on the response to Covid-19 this afternoon

This afternoon.

Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin.

Speaking at the weekly HSE Covid-19 update, Mr Reid said there is a “natural urge to hug people and wish them a Merry Christmas” after spending time at a restaurant or a gastropub, but he warned this will pose “an extreme risk”.

He said he foresees three phases of risk, namely this weekend as restaurants and gastropubs reopen, the second being next week until 18 December when people can visit other households, and from the week of Christmas until the New Year being the third phase.

Mr Reid said the HSE will be “watching very carefully” during the third phase “which poses the highest risk for the HSE and health services” due to an anticipated level of inter-generational mixing.

Not inhumanly weird at all.

Hugging at Christmas will pose ‘extreme risk’ (RTÉ)

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Cayla Hollywood (top), of McKinley School of Dance, joined fellow members of Performing Arts sector of Ireland holding a silent, socially distant protest over the continued closure of businesses.

The group includes dance school owners, drama and stage school owners, dance teachers, professional dancers and others.

They are calling on the government to reopen their sector, since sports and similar activities are being allowed to re-open under the easing of restrictions this week.

RollingNews

Minister For Health Stephen Donnelly

This afternoon.

Via RTÉ:

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said the European Medicines Agency will conduct a final review of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on 29 December and if approved it could begin to be distributed in Ireland from early January.

Mr Donnelly said that the EMA indicated today that the approval of a second vaccine from Moderna will be decided upon at a second meeting on 12 January.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Donnelly said that the EMA is also considering the credentials of the AstroZeneca/Oxford vaccine and a fourth vaccine from Jansen.

Vaccine rollout could begin early in New Year, says Donnelly

Meanwhile…

Just over half the population would take a Covid-19 vaccine if there was one, according to a survey commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry.

Men are more likely to take the vaccine, and older people more than the young, the survey for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association suggests.

Some 55 per cent of people surveyed said they would opt for the vaccine, 33 per cent were unsure and 12 per cent said they would not take it. One fifth of those aged between 18 and 34 were opposed to taking the vaccine.

Mr Donnelly said he did not envisage making the taking of the vaccine compulsory.

Because he can’t, silly.

Vaccine rollout could begin early in New Year, says Donnelly (Irish Times)

Meanwhile….

The Government has agreed to indemnify five drug companies producing Covid-19 vaccines against any liabilities that arise from complications with their roll-out in the coming months.

The move is considered standard practice, but is also a precondition of accessing doses of each of the companies’ vaccine and signals the Government’s confidence in the jabs being approved for quality, safety and efficacy by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the coming week.

Good times.

State to underwrite virus vaccine firms to reassure patients as UK approves Pfizer jab (Independent.ie)

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Um.

Rare Old Times – Johnny and Dara Quilty

Dara Quilty writes:

My Dad’s birthday today. Captain of the ship at The Goat Bar in Dublin, as he prepares to re-open after lockdown… we did a tune to mark to occasion, remembering Dublin in the rare ould times when you could get a pint…

The Goat Bar